Decathlon to invest NT$12 billion

By Jason Tan / Staff reporter

French firm Decathlon, the world’s second-largest sporting goods retailer, is set to make an investment of more than NT$12 billion (US$400 million) in Taiwan to open 15 stores over the next five years, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said yesterday.

The sporting goods stores will be established nationwide and are expected to offer 4,000 jobs the ministry’s statement said.

The goods will bear the brand name “Decathlon” and its other specialized labels such as Aptonia, Tribord and Quechua.

Decathlon operates more than 500 stores in 17 countries. It also has more than 30 outlets in China.

Decathlon is one of a handful of foreign investment projects that the ministry has brought to Taiwan so far this year.

The ministry has additional confirmed investments from Japanese and US firms — which together would inject nearly NT$70 billion in capital and create a total of 15,000 jobs, the statement said.

Japanese firms Furukawa Electric Co and Sumitomo Electric Industries Ltd are going to invest NT$2.4 billion and about NT$130 million respectively to set up production facilities in Taiwan, the statement said.

Meanwhile, US server maker Super Micro Computer Inc is scheduled to build a 5 hectare industrial park in Bade (八德), Taoyuan County, at a cost of NT$5 billion.

The company, which rivals Hewlett-Packard Co and Dell Inc in the server field, will add 3,000 jobs to the employment market, the ministry said.

The ministry attributed the recent strong surge in investment to the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement signed with China in June last year.